Veg seed farming benefits 8 Lalmonirhat border villages

In eight Lalmonirhat border villages the cultivation of vegetable seeds is bringing about positive change in farmers' lives.

"My 30 decimals will produce tomato and chilli seeds this year," says Nazrul Islam, 42, a farmer from Durakuti village of Lalmonirhat sadar upazila's Mogholhat union. "Vegetable seed production keeps my wife and I busy but we hope to realise Tk 80,000 in net profit."

"The weather has favoured us," says Nazrul's wife Rahima Begum. "We think this year our vegetable seeds will be of the highest quality."

At least 200 farmers in the district have been trained in the cultivation by seed companies, with companies willing to buy the seeds from each farmer's door.

Lakhmi Kanta Roy, 48, also from Durakuti, says he produces seeds of vegetables including bitter gourd, brinjal, pumpkin, cucumber, ladies finger as well as lal and palong shak.

"We can produce up to 1 kilogram of vegetable seeds per decimal," says Roy, "The cultivation expenses are around Tk 3,500, from which we sell seeds worth about Tk 9,000." He has prepared five plots of 60 decimals for producing vegetable seeds this year, he adds.

Seed producer Abul Miah of Fulgachh village meanwhile, says his family faced economic crisis conditions some years ago before they began cultivating vegetable seeds. "Now we have a reputation for being one of the more successful families in the village," he says, adding that dense fog and raids by vermin are the main obstacles faced by vegetable seed producers.

"One of the best features of vegetable seed farming," says Kamla Chandra Barmon, 65, of Kodalkhata village, "is that the seed companies offer advance payment. We never have any tension about finding a market for our seeds."

According to Mobarak Hossain, a seed company employee in Lalmonirhat, at least 300 plots amounting to 36 acres has been dedicated to seed production across eight villages with the aim of producing up to 2,800 kilograms of various vegetable seeds. "Seed company representatives always monitor these plots and offer farmers advice to ensure quality," he says.

The Deputy Director in Lalmonirhat agriculture extension department, Safayet Hossain, says meanwhile that agriculture officials do likewise.